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The Capital, Annapolis, Md., Elisha Sau7er column: The Watchdog: Family 'harassed' by victim serviceApr 13, 2009 (The Capital - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- EDITOR'S NOTE: Ever want someone to growl on your behalf? From plowing to potholes, from sediment runoff to sewer blockages, the Watchdog wants to hear about your civic problem. She'll figure out which government agency is responsible, and follow up to see that it's handled satisfactorily. Problem: Off the hook Peggy Stroble said she watches a lot of crime dramas like "Law & Order." So imagine what plots were swirling in her head when she got this automated message April 5 on her answering machine: "You are registered with us to receive updates with an offender, the last name spelled ... and the first spelled ... . I am calling to tell you this offender custody status has changed and has been released as of April 5, 2009. If you have any concerns about your safety, call 911 or the county detention center, 410-222-7038." The message closed with instructions to enter a four-digit identification number and press the pound key to discontinue repeated automated calls containing the same message. Stroble said she and her family have only had their home phone number in Severna Park for about six months, so she assumed the calls were left for the previous number-holder. As if getting a message from VINE, or the Victim Information and Notification Everyday, the National Victim Notification Network, wasn't creepy enough: Because the Strobles didn't know the code to stop the messages, the phone continued to ring and ring -- every two hours -- even through the night as they tried to sleep. Finally, they turned off the phone. The next day, husband Scott made a call to the county detention center. He was told by a jail official to call the county State's Attorney's Office with his complaint, Stroble said, but he was unsuccessful in getting any answers on how to stop the calls. "I was starting to feel harassed," she said. "And I don't know who this guy is from the message or whether he knows this phone number or address. I mean, should I be worried he's gonna come after us?" Solution: 'Dog avoids pound (key) VINE is intended to help victims and other concerned citizens obtain timely status information on offenders. Maryland is one of 46 states that participate in the program. The Watchdog called superintendent Robin Harting at the detention center on April 6 to get the lowdown on the offender mentioned in the message. After looking up some records, Harting said the offender was, in fact, "one of theirs." A quick Boolean search in the Maryland Judiciary Case Search database, which anyone can reference at casesearch.courts.state.md.us/inquiry/inquiry-index.jsp, gave some clues about the subject of the automated messages. No novice to the criminal justice system, the man has had at least 36 separate court cases between 1986 and 2008, including more than a dozen convictions for crimes such as breaking and entering, theft, assault, burglary and drug possession. He's called the county detention center "home" several times and has been under house arrest. On top of all that, he's been charged with, but not convicted of, arson and solicitation of a prostitute. But Harting said the fact that the jail's number is provided in the message is only a means to provide a victim with information on the perpetrator. To inactivate a VINE account, the State's Attorney's Office's Victim-Witness Services Unit would have to send a written request to desist to the national network, she said. So the Watchdog turned to Cheryl Tyiska, the director of the Victim-Witness Services office, but had to leave a voice mail. Meanwhile, the 'dog contacted Appriss, the company that provides the VINE service. In an e-mail, Rick Jones, an Appriss spokesman, said since the Strobles apparently only had the phone number for about six months, it is likely that someone who had the number previously had registered to be notified when their offender was released. "I have forwarded this information on," Jones said. "The calls are likely to have ceased by now ..." Jones added that the Maryland VINE system parameters are set up to call a registered number every two hours until the correct code is entered. On Tuesday, Tyiska left a message with the Watchdog. "I am faxing the letter today, so it will probably take them about six hours to get the calls stopped, and hopefully they'll stop by today," she said. But it seems the Watchdog was able to bypass the middleman this time around. Stroble said the messages stopped at 6:42 p.m. April 6. "Elisha, thank you so much for your help," she said. "My husband and I are confident that if I had not called you, the phone would keep ringing. We both called VINE, and nobody there had an answer." If you should encounter a similar problem, contact the State's Attorney's Office's Victim-Witness Unit at 410-222-1740, Ext. 3827. For customer assistance with VINE, call 866-ND4-VINE and press "0" for the operator. But perhaps more importantly, if you are a registered customer with VINE, be sure to notify Appriss at the toll-free number immediately if you change your residence and/or phone number. This is the best way to protect your privacy and ensure your safety, officials said. E-mail complaints to Elisha Sauers at [email protected] or call her at 410-280-5932. Remember to leave your name and daytime phone number, and she'll get back to you as soon as possible. To see more of The Capital or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.hometownannapolis.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Capital, Annapolis, Md. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |